


Indifference to Decorum

by Ms_Pimprenelle



Category: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, the Bennet girls have their own notion of what's proper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-05 02:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12784740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Pimprenelle/pseuds/Ms_Pimprenelle
Summary: After her father disowned her when she refused to marry Mr Collins, Elizabeth Bennet found herself an occupation that could make some eyebrows raise. For the first time since she left Longbourn, she has a visitor.





	1. An Introduction

It had been said of Darcy that he was very accomplished at writing long and tedious letters of business, but the fact was that he hated this. He could manage his accounts, but he did not like that either. It was a necessary task he had to accomplish because it was his responsibility, but he despised it. Thus, he considered his new secretary as a Gift from Heaven. That person was known to the household as B. Elliot, but had not actually met any of his friends—which was to be expected—or any of the men he did business with—and _that_ was more surprising. B. Elliot seemed to act from the shadows—quite efficiently, for since this addition to his household a few months previously, Darcy had more time to go to his club or receive calls from his friends.  
  
This was one of these times. His cousins had come to visit, and they were currently ensconced in his study, partaking a glass of port while discussing of the Best Way To Deal with their Aunt Catherine—that lady wished to manage her nephew's lifes and was rather persistent—when the butler came to tell him that a young man was calling on him. On asking who it was, Darcy was given a card where _J. Bennet_ could be read in a neat hand-script. His eyebrows rose, and he asked that the newcomer would be lead in the study. Before his butler went away, he added : “And would you please tell Ellie to join us?”  
  
“Ellie?” the elder of his cousins, Viscount S—, asked. “Am I to understand that we will shortly meet the mysterious B. Elliot?”  
  
“I wonder what the B. stands for”, added his brother, who was a Colonel. “Benjamin? Bernard? Barnaby? Oh – Boris! He's a Russian and fears to be accused of espionage, and that's why you hide him!”  
  
Darcy sighed. “You read too many novels, Fitzwilliam.”  
  
Before his offended cousin had the time to answer, the butler was back, and the caller was introduced in the room. It appeared he was a young man of perhaps eighteen, beautiful, whose look could almost be called feminine. Given the state of his dress, he must have been riding for a while, and if he had not been obviously dressed as a man the Fitzwilliam brothers would probably have concluded he was a woman.  
  
On seeing his guest, Darcy, without taking the time to introduce him, enquired about his family. He seemed anxious. The newcomer gave a weary but angelic smile.  
  
“Everything is wrong, sir. That is why I am here—I ran away from home, and wished to join my sister.”  
  
_His voice was rather high-pitched_ , Colonel Fitzwilliam mused. _Maybe he's not even sixteen yet?_  
  
“Your sister is here? Who is she?” asked the Viscount. Darcy and his guest exchanged a glance. The latter shrugged, and Darcy was about to answer, when the door of the study was again opened. A squeal was heard and, in a rush of fabric, a young woman in a rather severe attire threw herself at the neck of the visitor.  
  
“Jane! I missed you so much!”  
  
“ _Jane?_ ” The Viscount was more than surprised. “You mean that this young man is a young _lady_?  
  
His brother, for his part, did not feel the need to point the obvious and had come to yet another conclusion.  
  
“And your mysterious Elliot is a _woman_?”  
  
“Well, yes.”  
  
“Now, Darcy, this situation is definitely improper. A female secretary? This is unheard of! I thought you did everything to avoid any gossip attached to your name!”  
  
“This is why I did not advertise the fact she is a woman. And if you do not speak of it, nobody will ever know” Darcy said with a pointed look to his cousins.  
  
“But how did this happen?” the Colonel enquired.  
  
“Miss Bennet had been thrown out of her home by her father and went to see me, hoping I might help her find a place as a governess or a companion. As I was in need of someone reliable to take care of my accounts and business letters, I hired her as a secretary instead. For obvious reasons, she took an assumed name.” He did not add that he could not imagine entrusting anyone with the young lady's care. He viscerally had to make sure she was safe. And if possible, happy.  
  
Meanwhile, a worried Elizabeth Bennet—the astute reader will have deduced that this was the actual name of the young lady who had just entered the room—was pressing her sister to explain the reason why she had undertaken such a long trip.  
  
“Well, a lot happened in the last few weeks. First Lydia and Kitty tried to run away with an officer, but failed—Kitty caught a cold and they were betrayed by her cough. Both thought they were getting married. The tale is all over Meryton. While they are home, they are also shunned.” Jane rolled her eyes. “So you see, at that point, there is no need to preserve anyone's reputation. My mother took to her bed, my father locked himself in his library. Oh, and Mary ran away, too—she is the one who actually made it to Scotland, to a Catholic cloister. Then Mr Collins went back and asked for my hand—my mother and Aunt Philips pressed me to accept, and I believe that since he pressed you to accept him earlier, my father was not opposed to the idea. I did not wait for a confirmation of that—I fled. I first went to the Gardiners, but it appears the whole family departed for America some time ago after one of our uncle's venture turned bad. This is why you found their door closed in December.”  
  
“But why are you dressed as a man?” asked the Viscount, who was still stuck on that point.  
  
“Well, I couldn't think of a better way to gain London safely”, Miss Bennet quietly answered. “I had already given Lizzy my money when she first had to flee, so I had to ride with my father's horse.”  
  
“A female secretary, her sister dressed as a man encroaching on you... Darcy, this is madness. That cannot continue. You know people will speak!”  
  
Elizabeth Bennet looked up. “I am sorry to be so much trouble, sir—I—You have already been so generous, I would understand if you wished me—us—to go.” She looked dejected.  
  
“Nonsense! You are needed here. I do not care about whatever scandal, or scandals, surround your family. You and Miss Bennet will always be welcomed in my homes.” At this, Jane Bennet looked sharply at him, but he was oblivious to it, and continued. “Of course, I would prefer if you had not further relationships with your family but I understood it to be already the case—well, I suppose that letters to Miss Mary cannot hurt.”  
  
“Darcy!” His cousins cried together. Colonel Fitzwilliam went on. “My brother is right—there _will_ be talk, it is only a matter of time before people learn of that situation and begin to gossip. You cannot hide your secretary forever, and her sister is too beautiful not to be noticed.”  
  
Darcy looked thoughtful.  
  
“I suppose that there would not be as much speak if the ladies were to be family ...”  
  
Elizabeth looked at him strangely. “I cannot see how that could be ... oh, well, come, Jane. I will make some place in my room for you, and you will refresh yourself somewhat. Do you have a dress with you? Do you need to borrow one?” She promptly left the room, while her employer shook his head, a bemused and slightly frustrated look on his face.  
  
Jane Bennet grinned at him. Some of the things she had noticed when Darcy had been a guest in a estate near their home, and some things her sister had written to her about her employer's manners—always proper, sometime puzzling—suddenly made sense.  
  
“My sister has always been a little dense where you are concerned, sir. But she will come round. I think you will make a fine brother.” She then followed her sister, leaving a blushing Darcy and two gaping Fitzwilliams behind.


	2. A Conversation

Elizabeth was residing in the former nursery, who had been rearranged to suit her needs. It had been a source of discord early in her employment, as Mr Darcy would not hear of her living in the servant's quarters, though it would have been the logical place for her to reside, while she objected to being given a guest room, even though Miss Darcy's companion occupied one. As they entered the suite, Elizabeth hugged her sister once again.  
  
“Jane, I am so happy to see you, I missed you so much!”  
  
“I understood as much, Lizzy”, she answered with a gentle smile.  
  
“Speaking of understanding, there is something that puzzles me: you said that Papa and Mama wished you to marry Mr Collins, but was he not to marry Charlotte Lucas ?”  
  
“This is a rather long story ...”  
  
At that moment, a maid entered the room holding a tea-tray. She put it on a table and told them that a bath had been readied for Jane.  
  
“Do you mind if I bathe first? We will have all the time to speak after that.”  
  
Elizabeth nodded, and her sister went in the dressing room, leaving her to her thoughts. She could not help but reminiscing the last day she had seen her sister, before her flight from Longbourn.  
  
Jane had managed to give her all her savings, and that had been enough to hire a chaise to London and back. She had been accompanied by a maid and a man servant from Lucas Lodge, whom Lady Lucas had lent her for a day on hearing that her parents would not have anything to do with her and that her Aunt Philips refused to help, resenting her _selfishness_ (for, if Elizabeth had accepted to marry her cousin, the Philipses would not have to support the remaining Bennets after Mr Bennet's death). Her plan was to go to her uncle Gardiner on Gracechurch Street, but she found their home closed—and empty.  
  
Her next idea was to go to the Hursts' home, in order to ask Mrs Hurst or Miss Bingley for their help, since they might know someone in need or a companion or a governess—or even a housekeeper. But she did not know their address. She had then remembered that she knew that of Mr Darcy from something Miss Bingley had said in a conversation and went to see him in the hopes that he would know of someone in need of an employee, or at least give her the Hursts' directions. What actually happened had shocked her. After enquiring about her circumstances and learning that one of the reasons her father wanted her to marry Mr Collins was that she was the one actually dealing with the estate business and accounting, he had offered her a position as his personal secretary.  
  
She first thought to refuse, being uncomfortable at the idea of working for a man, but then reflected that in any case, she would be employed by a man. Governesses and companions were hired by fathers or brothers, after all. And even if she did not _like_ Mr Darcy, she did feel _safe_ working for him, while she had no such guarantee about any other potential employer. A bird in the hand being worth two in the bush, she decided to accept his offer.  
  
With time, she had come to realize that Mr Darcy was not the awful man she thought he was. He was a good master, a good brother, not out of pride, as one of his enemies once said, but because he was genuinely good. He was still puzzling, still annoying, even arrogant at times, and she still could not understand him, which was frustrating. She wondered whether she would ever manage to sketch his character. But on the whole, she had no cause to repine and found herself happy in her situation.  
  
They had established a routine, working together until breakfast. She then took care of household matters with the housekeeper, while Mr Darcy went to his club and met his solicitor regarding some matters of business if it Elizabeth thought it was needed. They all gathered for dinner, except if he had some engagement – sometime a ball, sometime a dinner or a play. But there were not many of those, and the ladies were often in his company in the evenings.  
  
Elizabeth had supposed that, after the Season had begun, there would be more evenings spent only with Miss Darcy and her companion, but though Mr Darcy went out a little more often, they still saw him most of the time. As far as she could tell, his main reason for being in London was to facilitate the access to various masters for his sister, but himself had no real interest in the social whirlwind that took place. His distaste for large gatherings was apparently not limited to the ones in the country.  
  
“Lizzy?”  
  
Elizabeth started. Lost in her musings, she had not heard her sister returning. Jane was now wearing one of Miss Darcy's gowns, a morning dress in a lovely shade of blue that really suited her. Both sisters smiled.  
  
“Come sit here, have a cup of tea, and tell me all.”  
  
Jane complied and took her sister's hand with her free one.

“Where should I begin?”  
  
“I suppose the best would be from the beginning, but I must own I am really curious as to the reason why Charlotte is not married to Mr Collins after all.” Suddenly paling, she gripped Jane's hand. “Please, tell me she is well!”  
  
“She is. She broke the engagement.”  
  
Elizabeth looked at her sister in disbelief. “But that does not make any sense! Why would she do that?”  
  
“When Mr Collins came back after your departure, he was very vocal about his disapproval of what you had done, and might have mentioned that a faulty degree of indulgence from our parents was the cause of such a behaviour, though your disposition must have been naturally bad.”  
  
Elizabeth shook her head but could not help smiling.  
  
“When he learned that the Lucases would not approve any criticism of you and even helped you to travel to London, he also disapproved. Charlotte stood by you, they fought, he told her she would not be permitted to have any contact with you after they were married, and this is when she released him. Her family stood by her in turn, and he left in a huff, as single as he had first come.”  
  
She paused to take a sip of her tea.  
  
“We did not hear of him until three weeks ago. My father received a letter where he announced his intention to visit again. Apparently his patroness was displeased with his celibacy, told him that, since our prospects were damaged because of what you had done, he must save us from poverty, and then, well, all this madness ensued. None of us wished to marry him, and we all devised our plan to get away. Save Kitty, who followed Lydia's, with the success you know.”  
  
After another pause, she continued. “Or maybe they _were_ successful, after all, for when Mr Collins was told of their endeavour, he refused to have anything to do with them, declaring them to be as unworthy as you had been. With time, the gossip will be tuned down, and they will again be welcomed in society—while being somewhat wiser. With Mary gone, and my mother having abandoned all hopes of Mr Bingley ever coming back, I was the only choice left, the only one she could promote, and you know the rest.”  
  
Still stunned, Elizabeth shook her head.  
  
“Now, tell me about you!” her eldest sister went on.  
  
“There is nothing much to say that you do not already know.”  
  
Her elder sibling looked at her with a knowing smile. Elizabeth frowned  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Tell me about Mr Darcy.”  
  
“Mr Darcy?” an astonished Elizabeth exclaimed. “There is not much I can say about him. He is a true gentleman, has the most intricate character I ever tried to understand, and I do not know what to make of him. Moreover, some of the things he says are just beyond my comprehension, I fear. What could he mean when he was speaking of us being family? He cannot plan to adopt us!”  
  
Jane nearly laughed out loud at that. Her usually clever sister was really blind where Mr Darcy was concerned.  
  
“Oh, Lizzy. Can you not guess?”  
  
That smile again.  
  
“Speak plainly, Jane.”  
  
“I believe he likes you very much—indeed, I suspect he is in love with you.”  
  
At that, her sister _did_ laugh out loud.  
  
“You do not believe me, and yet this is the only logical explanation to all these oddities you wrote me about, dearest.”  
  
Seeing that she had her sister's attention, Jane went on.  
  
“You told me, among other things, that he kept looking at you, and preferred your company to that of anyone else—oh, you did not see it like this, but did you not tell me that with time and familiarity, your business discussions did not become shorter, or that his housekeeper was surprised he did not partake more in the season? But, as he _is_ a gentleman and does not want you to feel uncomfortable, or obligated to him, he chose to stay silent.”  
  
Elizabeth opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it. Jane sighed.  
  
“Maybe I should not have said that. I would not like for you to feel awkward in his presence. But truly, Lizzy, it is obvious you esteem Mr Darcy. And you trust him at least as much as he trusts you. Now, it is only a matter of knowing whether you can have some affection for him. Take the time you need to find this, and when you do, let him know.”  
  
With that, Jane kissed her sister's brow, and went to the room to rest, leaving a stunned Elizabeth behind.


	3. A Conclusion

With Elizabeth's new awareness of Darcy's feelings, it was not three weeks before an engagement was announced, to the surprise of no one who knew the pair. What would have been a surprise is the fact that the bride proposed to the groom, but they had been so indifferent to the way the things should be done accordingly to Society that it would have been unlikely that they followed what was expected of them on this.  
  
His cousins' knowledge of the situation helped Darcy to pave the way for Elizabeth's acceptance by her new family—well, most of it, for Lady Catherine de Bourgh was most seriously displeased by the news. That help had a price, though, for the brothers teased him mercilessly, but the gentleman was so happy that he took it with good grace.  
  
The young couple would have wished for a very private wedding, but realised that a big, public, London one would give less possibility for additional gossip later. The new Mrs Darcy never relinquished her position as her husband's secretary.  
  
Caroline Bingley always regretted to have plotted to separate her brother from Jane Bennet, for it negated her chances to gain a deeper connexion with the Darcys. When they met again for the first time after his departure from Hertfordshire, both were still unattached, and Bingley tried to woo Jane again, but she could never allow herself to open her heart again to him, partly because she feared his renewed interest was only due to her improved circumstances, partly because she could not imagine marrying someone she could not trust. Soon Mr Bingley's interest faded, and they only considered the other as an amiable and indifferent acquaintance.  
  
Mr Bingley found his One True Angel a little more than one year after he left Netherfield. The lady had proper fortune and connections, though not as much as his sisters wanted, but was far less sweet-tempered than Jane Bennet. Not that Mr Bingley regretted it, for both of them being very much in love; he was always eager to please her and she him. But she also dedicated herself to gently guide her husband in his decisions and to remain firm in them, to the great displeasure of Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley, who found there another reason to repent of their scheming.  
  
Jane had planned to live with her sister and her new brother and, in time, teach their children to play their instrument very ill—for after all, she did not know how to play otherwise, having had no desire to learn herself. Those plans were thwarted some ten years after the Darcy's wedding, but she could still see her nieces and nephews very often, for her husband's estate was in the neighbourhood of Pemberley.  
  
Mrs Bennet did not end in the hedgerows, though Mr Bennet was the first to die, for Mr Collins had been by that time a widower with two young sons and needed a lady to take care of them—and so he allowed his cousin's widow to remain in Longbourn. The young Collinses grew very fond of their Aunt Bennet—who revealed herself to be surprisingly competent to raise boys and consoled herself somewhat of the loss of her daughters.  
  
Kitty and Lydia had managed, in the confusing time following their father's death, to join their Uncle Gardiner in America, and Mary Bennet—now Sister Martha of the Balm of Sisterly Consolation—lived happily ever after in her cloister.

**Author's Note:**

> I had fun playing with idea of Elizabeth doing what was definitely not a woman's job in Regency times, I hope I did't leave too many typos—there _is_ an anachronism, I think, but I liked it too much to get rid of it.


End file.
